"Will you call me?" Zayn asked and looked down at where I was sitting, his fingers playing with a single stray of my hair. There had been a lot of standing and walking since I got up in the morning and all the places to sit in the airport was occupied. I sat down on the top of my suitcase at the airport. As usual, we were going to take an airplane in the middle of the night and the airport was very still and quiet.
Zayn was standing right in front of me, his knees just barely touching mine. I tilted my head to look up at him.
"Of course." I answered him. "It's just nine days, Zayn. I'll see you after just a little more than a week." I promised, more for myself than to him. I didn't want to be without him now. If he was without me for a certain time, maybe he would realise I'm boring and that he's only interested in me because I'm the only girl in our age on tour.
It was Zayn, though. The nicest and most amazing person alive. He wouldn't be with me if it wasn't for real. He wouldn't put me through that pain. I had to believe him. I had to believe it.
"A week is so long!" He complained and pouted. Louis huffed from behind him.
"Really? I haven't met Eleanor in a month soon. You'll be without your girlfriend for a little more than one week. Suck it up, Zayn." Louis said. I giggled a little and Zayn rolled his eyes. None of us commented on what Louis had said. That he had called me Zayn's girlfriend. I wasn't his girlfriend, but it wasn't like I was going to correct Louis. Also, I liked hearing that. I liked the thought of being his girlfriend somewhere in the future. It was probably mostly a matter of time and so. Everybody just assumed we were together already.
"I'm really excited to see my family again. I miss them really bad." Zayn said. I hummed in response. "I'll take the flight to Bradford ten minutes after we land in London. Are your parents picking you up at the airport?" He asked.
"Yeah, I talked to my parents, or my dad mostly, and he said he'll come." I told him, but with doubt in my voice. Had they really missed me at all?
"When did you call them? Can't remember you did." He said and looked thoughtful.
"Couple of nights ago. It was horrible."
"Horrible? Why?" He wondered with surprise in his voice. I hadn't said much about my family to him and when I did it was mostly that I missed them.
"My mum was pissed off and acting all weird and it was all very... stiff. I expected them to be happy 'cause I called, you know? But they were mad and said they thought I didn't care about them. I mean, what kind of parents does that?" I explained and he listened with a small wrinkle in his forehead.
"People are very different when it comes to missing other people. I'm sure they'll apologize as soon as you meet." He told me. I shrugged but he was probably right. I hoped he was. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He wondered.
"I was going to, but then it was that about the radio-interview and I kind of... I don't know. S'not a big deal really, I didn't want to bother you." I said and he raised his eyebrows. He leaned down, almost like you do to talk to a child or something. It would bother me, because I didn't want to feel small, but then I saw his eyes very close to my own and I could see every shade of gold in his eyes and I forgot about everything. Even breathing, almost.
"Iss," He started. I liked the way he pronounced that nick-name of my nick-name. I was a big fan of nick-names. I didn't have one for Zayn, yet. "Don't ever think like a problem of your's would be too small for me to listen to. If something makes you feel bad, I want to know, yeah? Want to help you, like, if I can." I was still staring into his eyes and it took me a few seconds to realise I should stop staring at the angel in front of me and answer to one of the most caring things anyone had ever said straight to my face.
"Okay." I whispered. He kissed my cheek in the flash of a second and stood up in front of me again. What had I done to deserve this boy? I was probably a saint in my last life. He was too perfect to be true.
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I was nervous on the plane home to London. The nervous feeling in my stomach wasn't just fright of flying. I was a bit scared of that my mum would be mad at me, and I was sad because I would be far away from Zayn. I wanted to spend every minute of every day with him. Of course, I understood that a week wasn't very much for others - especially not the others that were on tour with us and had families waiting at home.
After we got our bags at the airport, almost the whole crew came together in a hallway and the five boys stood up on a bench.
''So, we wanna thank everybody for our help during this first part of the tour. We would never make it without everything you do for us. All stylists and guards and technicians and musicians and kitchen-people and everybody. Thank you.'' Harry said and gestured to the crowd of people around him. The One Direction-crew was mostly adults, and the youngest ones were the lads. Many of them looked at Harry who had just spoken with proud smiles and nods. He, and the other four, was like extra sons to everybody. No wonder they were proud.
''We'll see most of you in about ten days again and it would be highly appreciated if someone who know about times and dates and stuff could text that information to me 'cause I must have missed it.'' Louis added before jumping down from the bench. Liam filled in with "The rest of us know, so you can just text Tommo." and some laughed like they weren't surprised at all. People walked away one by one to their families or friends that waited behind the doors further away. Where my dad probably waited.
Zayn stayed on the bench as his eyes searched the crowd of people that all had something to do with the tour before finding me standing behind Josh and he jumped down, making his way through the people.
He threw his arms around me. No sweet waist hugs or anything, but a real tight hug with one arm above mine and the other under my other, holding me as close and tight to him as it was human possible. I inhaled deeply to take in his scent and everything that was him. His chin was scratching my cheek and I buried my head in the crook of his neck. He leaned his head on mine and I knew that if I had to choose one place in this world to be in for the rest of my life - I would stay in his arms forever.
Someone said 'Bye, I'll see you' behind my back and I felt Zayn lift his head up and say goodbye to the person behind my back. The spaces around us was starting to get empty of people who was going home or to the plane that would take them home.
''My plane leaves in, like, five minutes.'' He mumbled with a sigh.
''You're famous. They'll wait for you.'' I said back and he laughed.
I looked up from his shoulder and saw that he was already looking at me.
''It's less than two weeks, but I'll miss you so much.'' He admitted and looked so sad and it was because of me and I couldn't resist the urge of kissing him, even though he usually was the one kissing me and I kissed back. I wasn't one to take the first step, even though it wasn't big or anything. It was far from our first kiss, so whoever kissed the other first didn't mean very much really. He probably didn't even know that he always had been the one to start. I was still afraid that he would think I was clingy or annoying or any of those million things Ryan called me - and Zayn was possibly the best person in this entire world. I couldn't mess this up. I didn't believe I had ever craved a person to like me as much as I did with Zayn.
He wasn't much taller than me, so I just had to look up a bit before attaching my lips with his. He wasn't late with responding and he held one hand just below my ear with his thumb under my ear and his fingers almost at the back of my neck, trying to pull me even closer even though it was physically impossible. I didn't even think about that we were standing in a public airport, even though no paps or fans were where we were standing.
He was the one to break the kiss, much earlier than I wanted him to.
''Okay, I really have to leave now or I'll keep kissing you until the plane leaves.'' He whispered, our noses still touching. I pouted but stopped soon and nodded, I couldn't make him late for his plane. That would be mean.
''I'll call you when I get home, okay?'' He said and kissed my cheek. It was a habit now, that he kissed my cheek before going somewhere. Even if it was leaving to go on stage or to his bus or anything.
''Bye.'' I said and watched how he literally dragged himself away to his gate.
I watched him walk for a couple of more seconds and then turned around, struggling with my bags. Zayn's bags was already on the next plane so he only had a backpack hanging over one of his shoulders.
I was approaching a few people I wanted to say goodbye to before leaving.
"Issy!"
I turned around again without wasting a second. Zayn had already run back to me. His running steps faded and he stood still in front of me. His breathing wasn't fast but it was more obvious than usually.
"You kissed me." He said, cupping my cheek in his hand. So he did notice.
"I've kissed you several times, Zayn." I told him, feeling a blush coming to my cheeks.
"Yeah, but you have never kissed me first." He explained, as if I wouldn't know already. I bit my lower lip and nodded.
"I know. But I did now."
His lips turned into a smile and he didn't say anything else. It wasn't that smile with teeth and tongue between teeth and wrinkles between his eyes and scrunched nose, but it made my heart melt and my knees go weak. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He glanced over his shoulder, towards where his plane would leave any minute.
"I uhm... You should just know how happy that made me. Really." He said, lips still in a smile but more shy now, his hand raised to fix a part of his hair or scratch the back of his head, like he often did when he didn't know what to do with his hands. It was settled. He was too perfect to be true and I realised that I was truly, actually, very much, in love with him.
I took one step and pecked his lips. First again.
"I'll see you." I said, and turned around to walk through the doors with Liam and Paul.
I wanted to say something more, but I couldn't make myself speak when my thoughts were on one thing only.
I was in love with him.
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I did not make you wait this long for a filler like this. I'm finished with chapter 34 as well and I'm planning on updating it in just a couple of days!
And the gif is the last smile I described. So cute!! xxx